Poem of the week: Tide Bodies

 

TIDE BODIES

The tide rolls out the bodies
Death Island
The tug boat pulls the message
Slogans speak of freedom
Wake is the crowd
The sun sets for bats to take over swallows, starlings and gentlefolk
The innocuous war was evil
The invisible army didn’t know they were Them
Labels hid in hypernormalisation
Bound for satellite stations
Dream homes for robots
There’s always more of Them
Death Island made of bodies
Bone bleach sea
That’s why the wash is white

It’s lies of the Captain Pirates of hypocrisy
The walking stick, the hook arm, lost leg – a sign of the weak worn as a uniform
Save the Cat, make all weak
O poor Captain Pirate
Death Island statistics invention
That mother fucker, liar
Murderer of freaks
Heading to horizons of preaching
Rhetoric his trick
Death Island of bones and statistics

Bamboo tower blocks
Reeds of dead city spikes
Metal mirrors on the capital

Kirsty Allison is a poet, performer and journalist from London. She is co founder of Cold Lips. Tide Bodies was published as part of her 20202 collection NOW IS NOW.  Find out more at https://kirstyallison.com

 

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Comments (3)

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  1. Axel P Kulit says:

    Interesting images but hard to understand.

  2. James Dow says:

    My poetic contribution for the week
    The Returning
    I have been here before, again and again
    Deep in my soul the past does remain
    Other eyes scenes along with their dreams
    Everything feels just as it seems
    I have held the targe and battle hammer
    Kept my nerve through murderous clamour
    Cried for our lost, loved all our own
    Time after time we all are re – sown.
    James Dow

  3. Andy says:

    Who wrote this poem, “Tide Bodies?” I find this site confusing. Why does it say, “by Jim Monaghan / More By This Author / Published on 28th March 2021” to the right of the poem, while underneath it says, “Kirsty Allison is a poet, performer and journalist from London. She is co founder of Cold Lips. Tide Bodies was published as part of her 20202 collection NOW IS NOW.” Who did write the poem?

    I’ve checked a few of the poems here, and they all have this confusing way of listing TWO possible writers. Unhelpful!

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